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July 19, 2011

Transported to China

Ferry Building, San Francisco

I'm sitting in the Imperial Tea Court, a Chinese-style tea room in the Ferry Building in San Francisco, a permanent indoor farmers' market of sorts. The lacquered furniture and yixing pots lining the walls provide a very different atmosphere than the lace and roses of Victorian style tea rooms. The menu features Chinese dishes, and an extensive list of Chinese teas. In general, black teas are my choice, but I prefer Indian blacks, so I turned to oolongs instead, selecting the "uniquely sweet" orchid oolong, served in a gaiwan. For a side dish, I ordered red bean paste steamed dumplings.

This is definitely the kind of place that caters to tea snobs...I mean connoisseurs. The cashier smiled somewhat indulgently when I asked for a pot of tea, and politely/condescendingly informed me that the tea was served Chinese style, which "might be a bit different than what you're used to." And it's true, I have never had tea served to me in this way. So how is it different?

A gaiwan is three pieces: a saucer, a cup, and a lid. The three pieces are always used together: the saucer is used to bring the trio to one's lips, and the lid is used to strain the tea while drinking. The waiter was kind enough to give a little lesson. (Side note: this is the method used by professional tea tasters).

There is something elegant about this presentation. The method requires a sort of purposeful grace rather than mindless imbibing.

In this place, Chinese influence on San Francisco is clear, and appreciated. This is a most welcome respite from wandering among crowds of tourists.